Friday, August 20, 2010

The topic of single motherhood has popped up over the last few days, with celebrities accused of glorifying the decision to select a sperm donor over a man, rendering the male species disposable and threatening to dissolute the sacred institution of the nuclear family. Despite the dramatic nature of such claims and the absence of impassioned women rallying down the streets and setting their bras to flames, there might be reasons for concern. Echoing the feminist verses of Gilman (who envisioned an ideal world where women spontaneously reproduced and lived in an all-female society of perfect peace), a recent study has suggested that society may not really need fathers at all, concluding that “despite common perception, there’s nothing objectively essential about his contribution.” Furthermore, it’s been reported that men could even lose their role in the reproductive process itself, after human sperm was first created artificially in a laboratory. Such scientific developments, along with discreet forms of contraception (the pill) and the widespread accessibility to abortion in the Western world trigger a whole new wave of feminism. Women now have control over their lives, their bodies and their uteruses, but it appears that with this control comes an attitude that dismisses the opposite sex as simply a nuisance that gets in the way. Freedom and self-empowerment come with the pill, courage and independence come with single motherhood, but blatantly disregarding the male species should not come with feminism.

Women may not need men to have children. They may not need them to raise children. But speaking as someone who was not raised with her biological father, children need fathers...Sorry if that's not a popular response...

Yeah, it's all going swimmingly. Children as young as 10 on the streets at night committing crime, by 15 theyre stealing cars, by 15.5 theyre pregnant or hiding from someone they made pregnant...This shit goes in cycles, it wont be that long until people all go to church on sundays and woe-betide you if you have a child out of wedlock..around and around we go. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!(I"m still holding onto my flairs and platform soles until they come around again too!)

The best bosses I've had are women. I think they are better listeners and better at seeking advice, compared to men. Dictatorial leadership doesn't work very well in high-tech companies, where knowledge and creativity is more important than discipline >:)

A world without men would be a boring one, for sure. Can you imagine what world PEACE would be like? Nothing to protest, nothing to get all patriotic about, no jobs in munitions factories. Good grief!

On the other hand (and I do have two of them), I do sincerely believe that children need their fathers. Especially boys. Boys learn to be men from their fathers. If boys don't have fathers, they look for guidance from older boys, and often end up thinking that "manhood" is only achieved through knocking up girls and fighting other boys. Oh...wait...maybe that's all that manhood IS about! I'm getting confused.

If you look at couples relationships strictly from the context of child bearing/raising, sure you don't need men. But relationships continue far beyond the child raising stage, and some couples choose not to have children at all.

Speaking for myself I would not like to live without the presence of a special woman in my life. My wife is very much the feminist and we view our partnership as being strongest in our equality toward one another. In addition to our partnership, we share the characteristics of our maleness and femaleness with one another. It makes our lives all the much richer.

Kids need one good parent, be it a man, woman, or person in the transgender community. (Living in the SF Bay Area, I can't leave them out.) One good parent is better than a lousy mom and dad. A boy does not have to have a father to have a good male role model. He could get this from an uncle, a teacher, a Big Brother, etc. We know this from a lot of research (done in different countries) on resiliency. There are wonderful single dads, and single moms, out there. It's not about gender or about whether a woman gets sperm from a bank or from the most direct source. It's about being a good parent.xoRobyn

Ha ha ha---ok, scientists are now going to give ladies a choice.Insemination by turkey baster with some genetically designed perfect tadpole---how wonderful---go and have it done at lunch time before you eat your sandwich----ORYou can actually have sex---yes, you know, that old fashioned idea of enjoying yourself and maybe produce children.I'm betting if you gave the average red blooded Australian girl the choice of legs in the stirrups and the invasion of the turkey baster against a good old fashioned huffing and puffing root, you are going to get a large majority going for a sweaty, fluid swapping, all huffing and puffing root.And I'll bet on that

I will say that some of these comments were funny, though I'm not sure if they were meant to be. Obviously, I am a man. (listens to collective sigh)... and no, women don't need men. And I'm not even sure that the oppression is spoken about is still happening at the levels it once did. As far as raising children, women may not need a man, but everyone needs a good partner. I was single dad for 6 years (of two boys, nonetheless) and while, alone, I was able to provide for them as much love and attention as I could throw at them having, it was taxing at times.Lets also keep in mind, that a good romp in the sack is irreplaceable experience.

I am not quite sure this is what James Bowlby intended when he announced his theories of maternal attachment on the world!Perhaps there will come a day when we will have artificial uterus, artificial eggs and all we shall need are robots to reproduce!I need a man in my life. I am 5' 1". Saves me having to carry a ladder around the house to reach the top shelves!

I would not want to live in such a world as described by Gilman - all women? Are you kidding me? Equality is important, for sure, yes, but a world without men would just suck. I wouldn't even consider it for a moment. As a few have expressed, the relationship aspect as well as the sexual as well as the simple convenience (or blessing in my opinion) of a helper/companion, is something one shouldn't throw away so lightly. And as much as I love my fellow female gender, I appreciate the opposite sex far too much to ever even consider going about my life without them around whether as a friend, coworker or husband or whatever.

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